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‘Tool for manipulation’: Internet thinks Mammootty film writer's cryptic note is about Dhurandhar 2 The Revenge

Writer-filmmaker Devadath Shaji posted a cryptic note on his Instagram about ‘high quality making’ that many believe is a dig at Dhurandhar: The Revenge.

Updated on: Mar 20, 2026 12:58 PM IST
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Aditya Dhar’s Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar: The Revenge hit screens on Thursday with paid premieres on Wednesday. The film seems to be recreating the first film’s magic at the box office, even as numerous celebrities are all praise for the sequel. Amid this, Malayalam writer-filmmaker Devadath Shaji took to his Instagram to share his opinion on the film.

Mammootty film writer on Dhurandhar 2

Ranveer Singh in a still from Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
Ranveer Singh in a still from Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar: The Revenge.

Devadath, writer of Mammootty’s 2022 film Bheeshma Parvam, and director of the 2025 film Dheeran, took to his Instagram stories and posted a cryptic note that read: “If a movie uses high quality making to validate a wrong idea, the technical skill becomes a tool for manipulation!” While he didn't name Dhurandhar 2, it wasn’t hard to connect the dots, given how he used the song FA9LA by Flipperachi from the first film in the note he posted. Many on the internet also seemed to agree that his note was about Dhurandhar 2.

A screengrab of Devadath Shaji's Instagram stories about Dhurandhar 2.

Internet reacts to Devadath Shaji’s statement

“Dhurandhar 2 works as a film to some extent, but this particular second part feels like it’s made purely for propaganda. The first part had subtle hints of it, but this one openly shows what it stands for,” wrote one Redditor, while another brought up the flak Mohanlal’s L2 Empuraan faced, writing, “The irony is that people who protest against Empuraan support this movie and say that movie should not be taken as serious or some bs words.”

However, there were others who did not agree with Devadath, with an X user claiming, “Then bajarangi bhaijan is a propaganda movie as well.” Another opined, “See you cannot make a 4 hour movie with Propaganda. If Shaji didn’t like the movie I respect that. If he didn’t like the movie then do not say that it is propaganda.”

Dhurandhar: The Revenge shows the rise of Jaskirat Singh Rangi, alias Hamza Ali Mazari, as the new Sher-e-Baloch of Lyari. An Indian spy sent to Pakistan to bring down a terror group, he begins to silently unleash chaos from the inside.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeshita Nyayapati

Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.

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